Local housebuilder sponsors traditional-style games at Crowborough school’s summer fair

Vistry Group, which is building new homes under its Linden Homes brand at the Ashdown Gardens location, off Eridge Road in the town, donated £250 to Sir Henry Fermor CofE Primary School to help pay for the annual fundraising event.

The contribution funded the provision of prizes for a series of games at the fair on Saturday 22 June including hook a duck, crockery smash, mouse catch, hoop the teddy and a coconut shy.

The fair, which was held between 11am and 2pm on the school fields, also featured a cake stall, a barbecue, a craft stall, a bar, a raffle and a tombola. Money raised on the day will be used to help buy new laptops for the pupils’ computer studies and to help finance school trips.

Emily Ward, from the school’s parent teacher association Friends of Fermor School, said: “The school summer fair was a fantastic success where, after a slightly rainy start, it really brightened up and hundreds of people came along to join in the fun.

"We are very grateful to Vistry for their generous donation which helped us to pay for prizes and to set up the games. On the day, children bought game cards to play games and win stamps and then they could cash in their stamps for prizes, which had been purchased with that contribution.

“Vistry has helped us out in the past with a donation and we are very glad to be able to form a relationship with such a prestigious company which is building new homes in the area. The summer fair is a vital source of revenue for us and the good people of Crowborough did not let us down and turned up in huge numbers to support our event.”

Vistry Group previously supported the school when the company donated £200 to help sponsor the Polar Express-themed Christmas fair in November 2023. The contribution funded prizes for the fair’s games room, with pupils able to collect stamps for playing and winning different games and exchange them for items on the prize stall

Ginny James, sales and marketing director for Vistry South East, said: “When we build a new development, we commit to playing a positive role in the local community and our ongoing relationship with Sir Henry Fermor School is testament to that philosophy.

“It was a lovely idea to organise traditional-style games at the summer fair. It’s nice for parents and carers to be able to tell the children how they used to play similar kinds of games when they were young. We’re so pleased to hear that the event was very well attended and brought in hundreds of pounds which will go towards new laptops to allow the pupils to learn computer skills.”